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The U.S. Military Will Send 400 Troops to Train Syrian Rebels Battling ISIS

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Rebel fighters fire a weapon on the al-Breij frontline, after what they said was an advance by them in the Manasher al-Hajr area where the forces of Syria's President Assad were stationed, in Aleppo
Rebel fighters fire a weapon on the al-Breij frontline, after what they said was an advance by them in the Manasher al-Hajr area where the forces of Syrian President Bashar Assad were stationed in Aleppo, Syria, on Jan. 7, 2015Hosam Katan—Reuters
By Charlie Campbell

The U.S. military intends to deploy more than 400 troops to help train Syrian rebels in their fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS).

Training is expected to begin in the early spring in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar. Hundreds of American support personnel will also be deployed, a Pentagon spokesman told Reuters on Thursday.

Other coalition partners are also likely to help with the training, reports Defense One, with about 5,400 rebels expected to pass through the program annually for three years.

In neighboring Iraq, U.S. President Barack Obama has already authorized more than 3,000 American troops to guide and train Iraqi and Kurdish forces in their battle with ISIS.

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Write to Charlie Campbell at charlie.campbell@time.com